i79‘- of the 20th being dark and fqually, we hauled to the wind, and plied ;
J.1-,__i left the land, which is reprefented as very low, or Ihoals, might be nearer
Tuefday 20. we expe£ted; at day break we again relumed our eaftwardly courfe,
obferving every night the like precautions.
Friday 23. In the morning o f the 23d, conceiving that the land could not be at any
great diftance, and that the coaft might lie to the north of the courfe we
were fleering, the Chatham’s fignal was made to look out on the larboard
beam. The wind from the weftward blew a ftrong gale, accompanied
with a very heavy fea; but the Iky being clear, permitted me to obtain
fome good lunar obfervations, which, with thofe taken on the 21ft,
Ihewed the longitude at noon to be 1 140 14*; the chronometer, by the Portf-
mouth rate 113° 32', by the Cape rate 1 130 55-V the latitude 3§° 7'. Soon
after mid-day, the wind at w .s .w . increafed to a very heavy gale; and
not choofing, under fuch circumftances, to make too free with a coaft
entirely unexplored; we hauled the wind to the fouthward, under the forefail
and ftorm ftayfails. Towards fun-fet, land was faid to be feen from the
maft-head to the e .n . e . and, although this was not abfolutely certain, yet it
was extremely probable, as we had paffed feveral leagues over the fpace af-
figned to Lyon’s Land in moft o f the maps. A prefs of fail was now carried
in order to keep to the windward, having no bottom at the depth of 120
fathoms; in confequence o f which, and a- very heavy fea, the larboard
fide of the head, with the bumkin, &c. was entirely torn away. On the
Saturday 24. gale’s moderating the next morning, we flood to the north, in quell of the
land; but fome of the officers conceiving they fawland to the s.E. we
hauled our wind again in that direflion until noon, in latitude 35 28, longitude
1150 10’, when, being difappointed, we again flood to the north,
under double reefed topfails, until eight in the evening: we then tacked
to fpend the night, which bore a very threatening appearance, over a fpace
we were already acquainted with, and found bottom-at 70 fathoms depth,
compofed o f white fand, and broken Ihells; the latitude at this time was
340 51', the longitude 1 15012'. The very gloomy appearance of the night
rendered our carrying a prefs of fail indifpenfably neceffary to preferve
an offing, as the foundings ftrongly indicated the land not to be diftant.
During the night we did not reach the bottom with too fathoms of line;
and the. morning evinced our conjectures refpefting the weather not to >79'-
be ill founded; as, about 4 o’clock, the flings o f the main yard were 1 P— 1
carried away: to replace which, we were compelled to furl all the fails on 'Sunday 25-
the main-mall; but, before this could be accomplifhed, ■ the increafed violence
of the ftorm obliged us to take in all our canvas but the forelail, to
ftrike the top gallant-malls, and to get in the j ib-boom and fprit-fail yard.
In this fituation we continued until towards fun-fet, when having no bottom
with 110 fathoms of line, we flood to the N .w .- under clofe-reefed
topfails, in the full affurance of meeting the land in that direflion. In
the courfe of the night, the gale gradually abated, and in the forenoon
of the next day, the wind became perfe&ly calm, and an opportunity was Monday 26'.
afforded us o f repairing the many damages which our rigging had fuftained
in the late boifterous weather. At noon the obferved latitude was 35“ 23', the
longitude 115° 52'; in this fituation, foundings could not be gained at the
depth of 220 fathoms. In the afternoon a light breeze fprang up from
the northward, with which we fleered td the north-eaftward, and foon
difcovered land from the maft-head, bearing by compafs N.Ev to N. 27 E.
It feemed of a moderate height, refembling in appearance the’land in the
Britilh Channel, and was fuppofed to be about ten or twelve leagues diftant—
No foundings with 126 fathoms of line. The wind veering to the
N .w . enabled us to fleer for the land, and having neared it about three
leagues, it was leen from the deck bearing n . 7 £. to N. 73 E. by compafs;
at which time, bottom was found at the depth of 65 fathoms, compofed
o f coarfe fand, and broken coral. The depth of water had, at eight
in the evening, gradually decreafed to 50 fathoms; when, having advanced
about four miles nearer, we tacked and plied in order to preferve
our fituation with the land until morning.
By the refult o f our foundings during the night, 70 fathoms would
feem to be the edge of a bank about g leagues from the ffiore, confining
of fine fand, and broken ffiells, correfponding with the foundings we
had found on the 24th; for had that depth o f water been nearer in
ffiore, we could hardly have avoided feeing the land before dark on that
evening.
At